Kingdom Hearts: World Memories
by Xane Maren
Summary: Three new champions of light are being trained in the new keyblade order. But one of their hearts is damaged, possibly beyond repair. In a story of loss and redemption like no other the bonds of friendship are defined and redefined.
1. Prologue

Prologue:

We're all searching,

Searching for something,

A friend, a memory, a dream…

As we go forward we must not forget those left behind.

One day our paths will cross again,

Someday our searches will be over,

And at our journeys end …

I hope we still have each other…

The sound of the surf fills my ears. This world holds so much beauty it feels almost wrong for me to be here. A familiar ache fills my heart, an ache that refuses to go numb… I feel like I can almost see their eyes in the sea as it sparkles in the setting sun, adding an ethereal element to the scene. It isn't often that I get to simply enjoy sights like this, where I can almost feel the heart of the world resonating with mine. A gentle breeze caresses my face and stirs my charcoal-colored hair. Sights like this remind me that I will never be like them. I can't help but wonder, if we were to look on this same sight- would they even see it the same? I look up at the sky and wonder if we truly are seeing the same sky…

The soft rustling of the sand breaks my reverie. I sigh; it was nice while it lasted. The sound I recognize as footsteps stop a few feet behind me.

"You found me…" I say at last.

"I'm good at finding things." the voice behind me says.

I turn to face Zeke, reluctant to let him see the feelings I know are showing in my golden eyes. I'm not ready to be found, not ready to see anyone from my past again... I might never be ready to face them again...

"Thinking's a dangerous habit you know… I try to avoid it when I can." He tells me.

His hood is up, hiding the majority of his familiar shock of snowy hair. His icy blue eyes pierce into mine but I don't turn away. I stay silent, just holding his gaze.

"The question is… What will you do now that I've found you?" A breeze rolls inland, causing his cloak to flutter quietly. I turn away from him.

"What am I supposed to do?" I ask quietly, it's a loaded question, but I still want to hear his answer. What I really want is an answer from somebody, but so far it seems like no one has any answers to give.

"I'm not the one you should be asking. Right now I just want to talk…"

"I'm not going back." I say with finality, my resolution strikes a note with my heart. There was nothing for me back, I had to move forward.

"See, now we're at odds…"

"I don't want to fight you."

"It makes my job easier if you don't."

I know what will happen next, my eyes narrow, if I go back now I'll never find my answers. There's a flash behind me and I react instantly. Zeke lashes out with a chain of light but there is only an afterimage in my place. I stand behind him, not bothering to summon my keyblades.

"I can't go back, not until I find what I'm looking for," I say softly into his ear.

I lean back and allow myself to fall. I see him spin, slashing horizontally with his keyblade, but he's too late. I've already opened a dark portal beneath me and I begin to sink into the darkness. The last thing I see before darkness envelops me is the question on his face… A question I can read perfectly… Why?

Kingdom Hearts: World Memories


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Where There's Light…

Darkness everywhere, surrounding me, surging through me, inviting me deeper into its depths… This evokes a sensation of falling, but it is more soothing than startling. Yet to my horror I can feel my heart straining to heed the darkness' call. Part of me just wants to sink into its depths and disappear, to give up my search and stop fighting against the inevitable; to become one with the darkness… Maybe I'd be better off if my story ended here. I can't go back and I don't know where forward is. All I can see in every direction is darkness…

Everything I can feel is darkness… I can hear it, taste it, and even smell the darkness all around me. I feel as if my heart is completely unguarded against it, yet somehow it has not yet overtaken me… But why, when everything my Master ever told me warned of the corrupting power of darkness? I have used the power of darkness- taken the step away from the light. The light, which I reached for but could never grasp… Yet the darkness welcomed me with open arms… What does that make me? I can sense the darkness as if it is waiting for that final admission of defeat, for my last reserves to give out before it devours my heart and I disappear completely.

I was always the shadow… The brighter their lights shined the more apparent it became that mine didn't. Sometimes they shined so brightly it was hard for me to look at… No matter what the masters said I always felt in my heart that I couldn't shine like they did… Those thoughts didn't bring out anger in me, or even jealousy… There was no bitterness, just a numb feeling… I didn't want what they had… But I wanted my own light to shine, so I could proudly stand next to my friends and see pride in my Master's eyes…

When my heart finally did unleash its power I knew I had to leave. I was, am, a danger to all of them… It was finally time for me to find out why I am the way I am and why I got two keyblades. What is it about the nature of my heart the masters wouldn't tell me? Thinking back on it now, I wonder if they were just trying to protect me from the darkness. Not that it really matters anymore…

At least if I give up it will be my own choice, here I'm beyond anyone else's reach. Before I left I was always bound by their rules or swept up in the currents of fate. I knew why I was learning to use my keyblades, who my allies were, where I belonged, what my responsibilities were, who I was, I knew I had to leave, that the darkness was a taint, that I was tainted by it… Now things aren't so black-and-white; now the ability to choose is mine alone…

But why would I choose oblivion? If I have the power of choice here then why would I throw it away? The thought seems to clear the haze that had been forming in my head. The more I think about it, the weaker the darkness' hold on my heart grows. The darkness can't have me, not yet. If it is the only strength I have I will use it, sparingly at least. But I won't let it consume me, not until find what I'm looking for… I remember the questions I still need answers for- the reason I left in the first place. If no one out there has my answers I'll just have to discover them myself. Giving up is out of the question for me.

I feel my body separate from the mass of darkness. I look and am able to see my hands so I mentally count all my fingers, like I'm not sure they'll all actually be there. Needless to say they are, I look down and am able to see the rest of my body as well. The very essence of the darkness seems to change, I'm able to discern different layers and textures in the darkness, the smells become subtler- more subdued yet more distinct. The sensation of falling stops and is replaced by what feels like a solid surface beneath my feet.

Well, my first choice was not to disappear and it's looking like my second decision will be to pick a direction and start walking. I squint into the darkness and am able to make out that I am in a corridor-like structure walled by darkness… That narrows my decision down pretty effectively: left or right?

I think for a moment, at this point it would probably be best to just go with my instinct. I turn left and start walking, it will probably be better for me in the long run to spend as little time this close to the darkness as possible- at least until I learn to control it. My footsteps make no sound in the darkness, it's a rather uncanny feeling and hard to describe. It isn't like the sounds are muffled as if from a dusty floor, they're just missing altogether. Yet with every footfall I expect to hear a sound accompany it, and in the absence of that sound is just an eerie silence.

Maybe it's just the silence playing tricks on me, because my throat feels too choked to make a sound that will break it and the rhythmic swish of fabric from my clothes is not enough, but I swear I can feel a strange thrumming. It's an almost tangible energy, like the darkness is coming in proximity with something… The thrumming gets louder and more powerful, seeming to agitate the darkness until the very air shivers along with it. Strangely, I'm not afraid and I feel my heart pulled towards the source of the vibration, whatever that source may be…

The darkness unfolds in front of me, allowing light to pour in. I cover my eyes- sensitive from being in the dark so long- and take a step forward. Behind me the dark door I came from closes, leaving me squinting, dazzle-blinded, at an unfamiliar world…

_The rhythmic sound of footsteps on marble floors echoes through the hall. The source of the sound is a girl of about 16. She hurries down the hall and into a large open room, decorated by marble columns and large, arched windows. Although it doesn't look that way at first, the room actually has a very relaxing air to it. It makes one feel warm and secure, as if in this room nothing can go wrong. The Land of Awakening: one of the seven worldlets guarded by the Keybearers of Light. The worldlets serve as a safe place the Keybearers can watch over the worlds without interfering with them…_

_ Three figures stand on the opposite side of the room. The girl recognizes all three but seems surprised to see two of them. She approaches the steps that lead to three high-backed chairs. Two of the figures, older men, appear to be conversing with the third, a boy about her age with snowy-white hair. She looked again to the middle figure, her Master. "Did you find him?" She asked, her gaze going from her master to the snowy-haired boy. The master's eye became sad. After a moment the white haired boy spoke. _

"_He's… Not coming back…"_

_ Her eyes widened. "You didn't!" _

_ The white-haired youth took a step back. "__The boy has chosen the path of Darkness." The heads of the two teens turned to the final figure. "Isn't that so Zeke?" Zeke looked relieved as he responded. "Yes Master Veritas, it would seem so..."_

_ Pain was reflected on the girl's face. "No, he wouldn't… Master Shin you know Xane, he wouldn't betray us like this! He would fight the Darkness! " _


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Aboard The Legacy (Part 1)

Surprisingly, my eyes adjust rather quickly the light. Thankfully it isn't too bright to begin with. For some reason it seems that I've wound up indoors… I guess travelling those dark passageways is more imprecise than I would have imagined. Maybe I'm just doing it wrong. Regardless I realize I need to find out what world I'm on. Wood and metal are all around me, and despite myself I feel a bit of excitement. This was a new world and seeing new worlds was still a fresh experience for me. I can't recall ever seeing a world before the Worldlets and since then I've only stayed a brief time on a small handful of worlds. This is the second world I've visited on my own.

I can hear voices not far from me. Thinking that I might be able to get some information from their sources, I approach a door. It sounds like people are arguing behind it. I can make out what sounds like female voice, possessing an unfamiliar accent, chastising someone.

" Doctor, to muse and blabber about a treasure map… in front of this particular crew… demonstrates a level of ineptitude… that borders on the imbecilic… and I mean that in a very caring way."

I try to stifle a chuckle as I move my ear closer to the door so I can hear properly. Do these people really have a treasure map?

"Imbecilic, did you say? Foolishness, Ive-" comes another, rather flustered, male voice.

"May I see the map please?" The female interrupts.

There is a brief pause that causes me to press my ear more firmly to the door, to make sure I don't miss anything.

"Here." Yet another male voice, this one sounds about my age.

"Captain, it would seem we have an eavesdropper," comes yet another voice. Then it dawns on me, the voice must've meant me. The door opens and I stumble forward a bit… I look up sheepishly into a stony face- stony as in made of rock. He wore a red coat and a black tri-cornered hat. I feel like he isn't the kind of person that tolerates uninvited guests… My stomach sinks a little, as an outsider I'm really looking for an ally.

"Well who is it Mr. Arrow?" The female voice asks.

"I don't recognize him, Captain." The stone-man in front of me, who I figure has to be Mr. Arrow, says.

"A stowaway? That's impossible, I've checked this miserable ship from stem to stern… And, as usual… It's spot on. So where did you come from?" The Captain directs this last past at me.

As Mr. Arrow admits me into what appears to be the Captain's Stateroom, I realize I must be on a ship of some sort. Despite this realization I have no idea how to answer the Captain's question. I look around the room scanning the faces. The Captain had an almost feline look to her features, I notice that her clothes are very neat and proper and she looks almost regal. I figure she must be a pretty straight-laced person, she would have gotten along well with Rose… It was my heart's turn to sink.

"Now don't give me that look," the Captain states, startling me a bit. "We aren't going to eat you… Most likely," she adds in a voice that makes it hard to tell whether or not she's kidding.

"I'm sorry, I'm from…" I hesitate for a moment. It's not exactly like I can say that I'm from another world. "… Far away." It's the best I can come up with.

"Hmm… Well I guess the question of where you came from isn't so important as is the question of how much you heard."

"Not much," I answer honestly. "Just something about a treasure map…"

A doglike man wearing a very odd outfit starts to say something that might be a protest, only to be cut off by the Captain.

"You're either sincere or a brilliant at pretending to be so… Whichever it is, as we've already set sail, we're stuck with you. Somehow I'm more comfortable with you knowing of the map than some others aboard this ship."

"Surely Captain you can't-" The dog-person begins, a tad flustered.

"Doctor Doppler, let me make this as monosyllabic as possible. I don't much care for the crew you've hired."

"Captain let me assure you I-"

"They're… How did I describe them, Arrow? I said something rather good this morning before coffee."

Mr. Arrow seems to straighten up a bit before reciting, "_A ludicrous parcel of driveling galoots_, ma'am." By this point I'm pretty much completely lost. I stand there uneasily trying to gather as much as I could from context, and not getting very far. I can't help thinking: what is a galoot?

"There you go, poetry." States the Captain.

"Now see here-" protests Dr. Doppler.

"Doctor, I'd love to chat- tea, cakes, the whole shebang- but I have a ship to attend to… and you've got your outfit to buff up."

I have no idea what a shebang is either but the whole exchange flusters Dr. Doppler even more. The Captain turns to address the last voice. The guy looks to be about my age, with a gold ring through one ear and an odd haircut, where the top and a small braid are allowed to grow but the rest is cut very short.

"Mr. Hawkins and Mr…" She looks to me. "What is your name anyway?"

"Xane," I answer.

"Odd name but anyhow, Mr. Hawkins and Mr. Xane, In the future… You will address me as _Captain_ or _Ma'am. _Is that clear?"

"Ugh." I turn to look at Mr. Hawkins, it seemed like a reasonable request to me.

"Mr. Hawkins?"

"Yes Ma'am," he says, giving in. I turn back to the Captain and follow suit with a "yes Ma'am," of my own.

"That'll do," the Captain responds with a nod. Behind me, I can feel the eyes of the other boy on me. I get the feeling the others in the room don't trust me as much as the Captain seems to. I wonder if they can sense darkness…

"Gentlemen, this," she continues, holding up a bronze-golden sphere I didn't notice before, "must be kept under lock and key when not in use," She placed the sphere, which I was guessing was the map I had heard about, into a chest inside a cabinet and locked the doors with a key she then slipped into her coat pocket. "and might I advise that no one," she gave pointed looks to myself and Dr. Doppler, "mention the events that transpired here… Mr. Arrow please escort these three neophytes down to the galley straightaway. Young Mr.'s Hawkins and Xane will be working for our cook, Mr. Silver."

"Wh- what? The cook?" Mr. Hawkins looks up from playing with what appears to be some sort of silver pendulum instrument in surprise.

I'm just as surprised, did this mean I was part of the crew now or did the Captain just want me out of the way? I realized I could probably leave for another world anytime I wanted but maybe staying on board for this treasure will bring me closer to my answers.

"_Rose, calm yourself." Master Shin chastised. "There's nothing we can do right this moment."_

"_Of course there is!" The scarlet-haired girl cried. "We can go looking for him." Master Shin's eyes flashed._

_ "Master Shin, is it not possible for her to search for the boy in addition to proceeding with the task at hand?" Master Veritas interjected. Master Shin's expression became reflective, Rose was suddenly curious. "Task at hand?" She inquired. Zeke perked up as well, he had apparently not been told of the task his Master spoke of._

_ After a moment Master Shin spoke, "You both know the story of Xehanort and how he threatened to engulf the worlds in Darkness, and how he was stopped by Master Sora and the other Heroes of the Keyblade."_

"_Of course, Master Veritas told it to me when I first became his student." Zeke said, now thoroughly interested. The Heroes of the Keyblade were legendary, Zeke hoped to someday be as great as they were._

"_Yes, it is a story every young Keybearer is told." Master Shin responded. "Our Master, Veritas' and mine, was chosen by Master Riku himself to wield the Keyblade."He paused a moment before continuing. "Your Keyblade is given life by your heart, in that way it is a part of your. Your keyblade is granted power by the strength of your heart and the memories you form on your journey to becoming a true Keyblade Master. If you form a powerful memory that strikes a chord in your heart a Keychain is created that can change the appearance and strength of your Keyblade..."_


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Aboard the Legacy (Part 2)

I descend the stairs the galley with Mr. Hawkins and Dr. Doppler, with Mr. Arrow following closely behind us. Mr. Hawkins and the Doctor are complaining about their treatment by the Captain. Personally I'm relieved I didn't get thrown overboard or something, on the way I had gotten the opportunity to look outside the vessel, there was nothing but stars and empty space. This ship, which I had learned was called the RLS Legacy, was remarkable. It resembled the ocean-faring vessels which I had seen in the books and yet it travelled through space. Needless to say I was impressed.

"That woman, that… feline!" Dr. Doppler says, obviously not over his previous frustration. I want to say something to calm him down but I have a feeling he won't hear a word of it.

"Who does she think is working for whom?" He continues, thoroughly flustered, Mr. Hawkins seems to be as upset as the doctor.

"It's my map and she's got me bussin' tables?"

"I'll not tolerate a cross word about our captain! There's no finer officer in this, or any, galaxy!" Mr. Arrow exclaims with pride. It's pretty easy to see how much respect he and the captain have for each other, as for myself I'm content with galley work. It'll be good for me to stay out of the spotlight, somewhere I can't cause harm.

I shuffle down the last few steps and step into the galley with my hands in my pockets, the whistling of a jaunty tune greets my ears and I realize that I haven't even given a thought to what the cook might be like. I don't have a clue as to what to expect. Sure, I know a bit about cooking from what I was taught but the only other cook I know is the Master. The Master was a real Jack-of-All-Trades though, and he wanted us to be prepared for whatever we challenges we might face... I chastise myself, I shouldn't be thinking about the past. I need to focus on the here-and-now if I want to get by.

"Mr. Silver?" The Stone-man behind me calls. I'm not sure what my expectations for the cook were, but the reality is completely different from anything I could have imagined. He's large and swarthy and he moves about the galley with an unexpected vigor and animation.

"Why, Mr. Arrow sir. Bringin' in such fine and distinguished gents to grace my humble galley; had I known, I'd have tucked in me shirt." Mr. Silver gives a bow that reveals what seems to be a mechanical left arm, leg, and eye. I can't help being a bit shocked; I've never seen anyone who had a mechanical body.

"A cyborg." The sound of Mr. Hawkins voice startles me, does he know Mr. Silver somehow?

Mr. Arrow pushes a nervous Dr. Doppler forward. "May I introduce Dr. Doppler, The financier of our voyage?" Mr. Arrow states in his official manner. "Love the outfit Doc." Mr. Silver says as his synthetic eye releases a beam of red light that appears to scan the doctor head to toe to the doctor's apparent embarrassment. "Well, thank you. Um, love the eye…" Dr. Doppler replies as Mr. Silver finishes his impromptu examination. It's hard not to laugh at the contrast between the awkward doctor and the obviously self-confident cook.

"Uh, this young lad is Jim Hawkins." The doctor proclaims pulling Jim forward. Jim keeps his hands firmly in his pockets as he approaches the cyborg.

"Jimbo!" Mr. Silver extends his mechanical arm for a handshake but his hand is made of dangerous looking tools. I'm as taken aback as Mr. Hawkins appears. Mr. Silver notices his mistake and the tools seem too, sort of, flip up and a normal looking, albeit metal, hand takes its place. Mr. Silver re-extends his hand for the handshake but Mr. Hawkins hesitates. After a moment Mr. Silver withdraws.

"Now don't be too put off by this hunk o' hardware." He turns back to a cutting board and starts preparing ingredients, his robotic hand transforming into a variety of cooking tools in order to do so. "Whoa!" He exclaims as he finishes chopping something vegetable looking. He raises his non-robotic arm to reveal a missing hand, only to promptly pop it out from its hiding place within his sleeve. I can't help but smile at this and think, why does Mr. Hawkins seem to dislike him so?

"These old gears have been tough getting used to..." Mr. Silver says, getting back to his work. "… but they do come in handy from time to time." Finished mixing ingredients, the cyborg transformed his hand into a miniature flamethrower to heat the ingredients as he carried them over to a larger pot and mixed them in.

"And who might the dark-haired one in the back be? I don't recall hearin' mention of him. Then again Old Long-John Silver is liable to miss a thing or two down 'ere in th' galley."

I was suddenly nervous; I hadn't considered that the rest of the crew would really take notice of my sudden appearance as the captain told me the ship had only recently launched. "This is Mr. Xane."

"Mr. Xane? You got a first name boyo?" I'm a bit confused, I've only got one name… I think about it for a moment. Dr. Doppler had introduced Mr. Hawkins as Jim Hawkins… People must have two names in this world… so what am I supposed to say in this kind of situation?

"I'm just Xane." I say, a bit lamely. Mr. Silver looks up from me, confused, and then shrugs. "Of course you are boyo. Quite the name it is too." He moved back towards his cooking pot and I caught a whiff of something familiar but I couldn't quite place it.

"Here, now, have a taste of me famous bonzabeast stew." Mr. Silver comes back carrying three bowls of a viscous brown concoction. I watch as Dr. Doppler tentatively sniffs it and, ignoring the spoon provided, laps up a small sample directly from his bowl. This world just seems to get stranger and stranger.

"Mmm! Delightfully tangy, yet robust." The doctor exclaims, apparently reaching a verdict.

"Old family recipe." Mr. Silver explains as an actual eyeball floats to the top of the "stew," eliciting a startled cry from Dr. Doppler.

"In fact, that was part of the old family!" Silver erupts into laughter. "Oh, ho I'm just kiddin' Doc!" He plucks the eyeball from the stew and pops it into his mouth. "Uh, yeah, well… I'm nothin' if I ain't a kidder. Go on boys, have a swig."

Jim and I exchange glances before he bravely picks up his spoon. Before he can lift the spoonful of stuff to his mouth the spoon swallows the stew and turns into a giggling, flying, pink blob with eyes. Just as I thought things on this world couldn't get any weirder…

The thing transforms into a red-and-yellow-striped straw right before my eyes and starts sucking up Jim's stew. "Morph, you jiggle-headed blob of mischief," Mr. Silver exclaims. "So that's were you was hiding!" The "morph" thing turned back into a blob and gave a satisfied belch. I held my bowl out to it and it readily finished off my stew as well.

"What is that thing?" I ask. Floats up and turns into a mini-replica of me. "What is that thing?" It mimics in it's strange little voice.

"I was just about to ask the same thing." Jim adds, the blob floats over, becoming a replica of Jim this time.

"He's a morph," says Silver, answering our questions. "Rescued the little shape-shifter on Proteus." Morph flies over to Silver's shoulder, cooing. For a weird little thing he's kind of cute. I'm glad I didn't mistake him for a heartless or something. "Aw, he took a shine to me. We been together ever since, right? Yeah, nice boy." It's obvious Mr. Silver has a real soft spot for Morph.

Mr. Arrow says something to Dr. Doppler about observing another part of the ship or something before turning his attention to Mr. Silver.

"Mr. Hawkins and Mr. Xane will stay here, in your charge, Mr. Silver." Silver coughs sharply in surprise. So he hadn't been informed? Well that's just great for me, I'm pretty sure I made a lousy first impression.

"Beggin you pardon, sir, but-" Mr. Silver Starts only to be cut off by Mr. Arrow. Yep, I made a bad first impression…

"Captain's orders! See to it the new cabin boys are kept busy."

"Cabin boys?-"

"Aw, but, no, but-"

"No, you can't-"

The three of us all start simultaneously but Mr. Arrow simply leads Dr. Doppler up the stairs.

Jim and Silver sigh as I lean back against a wall and close my eyes.

"So the captain's put you two with me, eh?"

"Whatever." Jim responds defiantly. I blow some stray raven-black hair from my face and open one golden-colored eye. It's not that I have a problem with work I'm just having a bit of trouble getting used to this world. At least I have a general idea of what a cabin boy does and if it helps me keep my identity as a Keybearer secret I can deal with it.

"Well, who be a humble cyborg to argue with a Captain?"

"Yeah," Jim replies, making his way over to the cyborg's prep table and picking up what looks to be some sort of fruit. I observe the scene from my place against the wall. "You know… these purps…" he continues, " they're kind of like the ones back home on Montresor. You ever been there?" He directs his question at Silver.

Silver looks a bit puzzled for a second, then answers. "Can't say as I have Jimbo."

Jim faces the cyborg, there's a weird look in his eyes. It's almost like suspicion but I can't really tell. "Come to think of it, just before I left… I met this old guy, who was, um… He was kind of looking for a cyborg buddy of his."

"Is that so?" Silver replies. I feel like I'm starting to piece together what's been happening, but it still doesn't explain Jim's obvious distrust.

"Yeah. What was that old salamander's name?" Jim pauses for a second before looking Silver straight in the eyes. "Oh yeah, Bones. Billy Bones?" Jim finishes.

"Bones? Bones? Mm-mmm t'ain't ringin' any bells. Must've been a different cyborg. There's a whole slew of cyborgs roamin' th' last port." Silver answers. He seems sincere to me, but I'm not sure Jim is convinced.

Silver seemed to ease a bit. "Eh, off with you, lad- you too Xane, go and see the sights. There'll be plenty work a-waitin' for you this afternoon." I push off from the wall, I definitely wouldn't mind seeing more of the ship and I want a chance to talk to Jim away from Mr. Silver. I want to know what that whole loaded conversation was about- especially since, as a fellow cabin boy, I had a feeling it would affect me as well. I know I have to be careful not to alter the course of events on worlds I visit but this voyage might just be the chance I need to find my answers.

As I ascended the stairs I couldn't help thinking, thinking that I had already resorted to the power of darkness and that was "against the rules" too…

"_Okay so what does that mean?" The cherry-haired Keyblade apprentice, Rose, asked. Master Veritas spoke up from his throne to answer her question. "Simply that, the stronger the heart and the more powerful the memory formed by that heart is, the more powerful the keyblade becomes as a result."_

"_Okay," the snowy-haired apprentice, Zeke, said contemplatively. "But what does this have to do with task-at-hand?"_

_Master Shin picked up where the other Master left off. "As you both know, each world is part of something larger; there are as many worlds as there are stars in the night sky." Just as you and I have a heart, each of the worlds have a heart, and just as the smaller worlds make up the larger one, every heart comes together to make the heart of hearts-"_

"_Kingdom Hearts." The two students said in unison._

"_Exactly," continued Master Shin, "and just as your hearts can form powerful memories so can the hearts of the worlds if an event is powerful enough to resonate with them."_

_ "The worlds remember." Finished Master Veritas._


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Cabin Boy (Part 1)

The deck of the ship is alive. Crawling with all sorts of strange beings the likes of which I've never seen before. Some of them look like they could be dangerous given the inclination, but mostly they just look busy tending to the various duties it takes to sail the ship. I look past the deck of the ship and see the vast expanse of space. It's beautiful; each of those stars out there is a world, the light of its heart shining bright. Such a vast place to be explored and I have only seen the tiniest fraction of what it has to offer. Despite the wonders the worlds undoubtedly hold, I need to focus on the here and now. The air practically vibrates with life and activity so that I have to wonder how I'm going to fin Mr. Hawkins amidst all the commotion. I scan the deck, searching for Jim, I see him standing off by himself, away from the crowds. I suppose he's not exactly difficult to spot, he's the only person on board that looks human- although by this point I wouldn't be surprised if it turned out he had some kind of prehensile tail or something.

"Jim!" I call out, unsure if I'm actually supposed to use his "first name," although everyone except the captain and Mr. Arrow seem to… I walk up to him and put a hand on his shoulder he shrugs it off.

"What?" I detect a slight note of hostility in his voice as he answers.

"What was that back there? I mean With Mr. Silver, and the whole Billy Bones thing? I mean there's gotta be some reason you don't trust him."

"That's none of your business."

"If we're going to be working together it is my business," I lower my voice so that only he can hear the next part. "If it's about the map I've already seen it, so what's there to hide?"

Jim eyes me for a second as if not sure what to make of me, I just return his stare. What else could I do? "You really are a piece of work but whatever you wanna know so bad? Fine," he says before lowering his voice. "When I was back on Montresor, a ship crashed a bit away from where my mom ran an inn. An old guy, Billy Bones, was inside- he was hurt bad. I took him back to the inn where he gave the map and told me to keep it safe and _beware the cyborg. _Then he just… died, right there in the that some pirates or something broke in and burned the whole place down. This was only about two weeks ago."

I'm a bit surprised at the actual details but my suspicions are proved correct. "So you think that Mr. Silver is the cyborg Billy Bones warned you about?" I whisper back.

"I don't know, it just seems like too much of a coincidence that there's a cyborg on the crew of the ship Delbert hired to follow the map."

I can't argue with that, it's just hard to see Mr. Silver as the type that'd burn down an inn. But, honestly, how many cyborgs were there nearby, coupled with the fact that it was such a short span of time. Needless to say, the whole situation is sketchy. But there's another question that's been on my mind. "Where is it exactly that we're going anyway?"

A small smile crosses Jim's face and I see a fire spark up in his eyes yet his voice remains low so as only to be audible to the two of us. "Treasure Planet!"

I can tell I'm supposed to know what that is, but quite frankly I have no clue. It must've been showing on my face because Jim's expression immediately changes into one of incredulity.

"You seriously have never heard of Treasure Planet?" I shake my head no, so he continues. "Captain Flint, the Pirate King. Who swooped in out of nowhere to loot ships then disappeared without a trace?" Again I shake my head no. "You gotta be kidding me. Well he did, and according to legend he hid all of his loot on Treasure Planet, that's where we're going."

"Wow, you really have the map to a place like that?" I ask, he nods to affirm it.

"Seriously, not even knowing about Captain Flint? Why did you stow away?" He asks, looking me dead in the eye.

"I'm not a stowaway," I answer honestly.

"Ok, sure. The Captain didn't recognize you. You apparently know nothing about ships, and you've never heard of Treasure Planet. Either you're lying or you were reaaally sheltered growing up. Where are you from anyway?"

I don't know what to say, so I decide it's probably best if I answer honestly. I need at least one real ally. "I'm from another World," I whisper.

"Well obviously, but which? Seriously, you're a weird one."

"Wait, obviously?" I ask, confused.

"Yeah, I'm from Montressor. Where are you from?" He gives me a look like I'm insane… I should probably get used to that look if I'm going to be travelling worlds.

It clicks, Jim thinks I'm from another planet within this world. No need to say anything to the contrary. "It's really far away, not sure what you'd call it. It's just home to me."

"And, what? You stowed away hoping to get back there? Or are you trying to get further away."

"I… You know what? Neither… I'm looking for something." I figure it's better he just thinks I'm a stowaway.

"Okay, but if you don't know about Treasure Planet then what are you looking for?"

"Answers," I say.

"Answers? To what?"

I scan Jim's face, with such a simple question he's asking so much of me. More importantly I"m not sure how to answer, not even sure if I should answer. I think for a second. The reasons make sense in my head, I just need to find words for them. "My questions, like who I am, and what my purpose is… Those kinds of answers."

Jim doesn't say anything, but from the look he gives me, I can tell he understands.

"That's some view huh?" He says, I only nod in response- not sure whether or not he could see it.

"Jimbo, Xane!" Calls the voice of Mr. Silver. "I've got some new friends for you two to meet." Jim and I turn in unison to catch a bucket and a mop respectively. "They go by the names 'o Mr. Mop and Mrs. Bucket. Hahaha, you four play nice now."

"Yippee," Jim's voice is dripping with sarcasm.

"Time to get to work," I say with a sigh. And so the two cabin boys set about swabbing the deck. We end up grabbing an extra mop and bucket from a supply closet so that the work will go faster. Even though there's plenty of time to talk, we mostly focus on our tasks and getting lost in our own thoughts. At least I'm lost in my thoughts. I can't help mulling over the events of the day. Could Mr. Silver really be a bad guy? He doesn't exactly seem the type. Too… I don't know, not evil?

I make my way over to Jim. "We're almost done," I say but he doesn't respond. I follow his gaze, some of the crew is chatting in hushed tones. They immediately hush up once they notice us. I give Jim a questioning look, wondering if he was trying to eavesdrop, when I smell something foul behind us.

"Cabin boys should learn to mind their businesssss…" The voice is raspy and altogether unpleasant. I turn around to see a red insectoid creature with two sharp looking pincers for hands climbing down the rigging.

"Wouldn't matter if you had nothing to hide, would it?" Jim spoke up, I have no idea what he's trying to pull but I can tell he's messing with the wrong guy.

"Maybe you didn't hear me," the grotesque creature menacingly responds, holding up a sharp claw. The rest of the crew can sense a fight and begins to gather around. This is seriously irritating, what did this guy have against us? I can fell something reacting inside of me, reacting to my frustration. I don't want to be pushed around and I'm not about to let it happen to Jim either. I feel the dark power in my heart reacts and notice a subtle dark aura forming around my left hand like a violet-black corona.

"Well, I can smell you for sure." Jim says, turning his nose away from the looming offender. The red-and-black spider thing's eyes flashed in anger. He turns his ugly head to glare at me with glowing, yellow eyes and, for a moment, I get the impression he notices the dark aura before he abruptly turns his attention back to Mr. Hawkins and presses him against the mast.

Jim's just asking for it at this point, and if someone doesn't break up the fight he's going to get seriously hurt. He's being hoisted up by the front of his shirt on one I take a step back, choking off the rising dark powers, and am about to summon my keyblades when Mr. Silver's cyborg arm forms a vice that clamps down on the creature's forearm, applying pressure that must be pretty uncomfortable. I sigh in relief and move away from the scene, I don't feel like drawing attention to myself.

"Mr. Scroop, you wouldn't be harrassin' me cabin boys now would ya?" Silver applies an extra dose of pressure for good measure so that I can't help but wince. Jim takes the opportunity to scramble away.

"What's all this?" Mr. Arrow's voice rings across the deck, causing Silver to let go of Mr. Scroop's claw. "You all know the rules. Brawling on this ship is prohibited. Any further offenders will be punished accordingly." He turns his Stony face to be on level with the spider-creature. "Is that understood Mr. Scroop?"

Mr. Scroop growls but reluctantly responds, but at that moment I get a strange sensation coursing through my chest. I suddenly feel something react within me, there's a great darkness harbored within Mr. Scroop's heart. I can feel it… I suppress a shudder. I never want the darkness in my own heart to control me like that. I want to say something but I know I can't, it's apparent this world knows nothing of darkness of the heart yet. But darkness like Scroop's is supposed to draw heartless, in fact so is the presence of the Keyblade… At this rate it won't be long before heartless do show up… For now all I can do is cross my fingers and hope for the best.

The crowd dissipates as Mr. Silver encourages any stragglers to be on their way. After a moment it's just the three of us left.

"What do you boys think you're doin'? I gave you a job-"

"We we're doing when-"

"I don't want to hear excuses; I want this deck swabbed spotless!"

It's my turn to cut in. "We were almost finished until-"

"Did you just hear me? I want this deck spotless, no excuses! And ye are not to rest until it's done. Morph, keep a close eye on these two. Make sure there aren't any more distractions." I have no idea what's got him so upset, it's not like it was really our fault. Morph leaves his spot on Silver's shoulder and flies over to Jim and I. Silver shakes his head and walks off, his mechanical leg making a distinctive thumping noise on the deck.

It isn't fair, Scroop was the one who started the trouble. I take a deep breath in, and as I release I also let all of my frustration seep out of my body. Raving about a small injustice isn't going to get the deck "spotless" any faster. From what I can see, Jim's come to the same conclusion although he still looks pretty ticked. As I watch morph transform into a giant, for morph, pair of eyes to "keep a close eye on us" I assume. Jim sees it too and after a second we crack up and get back to mopping.

About an hour of mopping later and night's already fallen, it's a good thing morph was there or I fear Mr. Hawkins and I would've succumbed to the monotony of it. As things are though, I can't really complain. Suddenly I hear Mr. Silver coming up the stairs from the galley. "I leave you two up here an hour and the deck's still in one piece," he says good-naturedly; any trace of his former anger now appears to be gone. Jim stops mopping for a moment.

"I, uh, I never got to… Well for before, I mean… Thanks, for what you did back there…" he said.

Silver stops and I watch as his face visibly softens. "Didn't yer pap ever teach ya to pick yer fights a bit more carefully?" I'm unable to do anything but stay silent and watch as the scene before me unfolds.

Jim looks away, I'm not quite sure what he's thinking about but Silver seems to get it. "Yer father not the teachin' sort?"

"Not exactly, he was more the take off and never come back sort…" As I begin to understand, I can't help feeling bad for Jim. I can see now how hard that must have been on him…

I couldn't help but wonder if somewhere out there somebody was missing me. Somebody I've never even met. That's just one of the answers I need to find. I need to know if I do have parents out there somewhere… What happened that separated me from them? Why did my Keyblades choose me? How did I get them?

Who am I?

I join the other two leaning on the side of the ship, looking overboard, into the vast expanse of space. After a long moment Mr. Silver breaks the silence "Well as circumstance has it, the Captain saw fit to stick you with me. So I'll be poundin' a few skills into that thick skull 'o yers whether you like it or not. You too Xane, startin' tomorrow I'll not be lettin' the two 'o you outta my sight."

"Hold on what're you-"

"You can't just-" Jim and I protest, but to no avail.

"From now on you two won't sleep, eat, or go to the bathroom without my say so."

"Don't take it too easy on us." Jim retorts sarcastically.

"You can count on that Jimbo."

I sigh in resignation and slump a little on the rail before turning to my fellow cabin boy, "Jim, sometimes not opening your mouth can save you a lot of work in the long run." I say, pushing my bangs out of my face.

"Wait, what?" a half-second later the three of us burst out laughing, I can feel tension from the day wash out of my muscels to be replaced by the comfortable fatigue that comes with a good day's work. I can't wait to get to bed, it was quite an eventful day and I have the feeling tomorrow will be even busier. Despite that, I'm excited. The sense of adventure is unavoidable, maybe it's something about this vessel, but I can't help getting caught up in it too…

_"The worlds remember… What, exactly?" Rose asked._

_Master Shin stood and began to pace a bit, his long, blond hair flowing behind him as he moved. He stopped a few paces from the apprentices and turned to face them._

_ "To be perfectly honest, we aren't sure. We don't know why its happening, but the effects are certain." This was the first time Rose had ever seen her Master unsure, it was making her incredibly uneasy. Her agile mind was able to piece together what the masters were trying to communicate but Zeke spoke up first._

_ "Are you saying that-" _

"_Exactly, the hearts of these worlds are forming Keychains. It's not happening on every world, only a handful of them exist." Master Veritas answered his student's question before he could finish vocalizing it. Veritas took a deep breath to calm his thoughts before continuing. "Since the worlds are only forming Keychains and not Keyblades, they are probably harmless. The problem is that, as they are forged from the Memories of the World's heart, they potentially contain the entire power of that world just waiting to be unleashed by a keyblade. Needless to say, if they fell into the wrong hands the results could be absolutely devastating… Not to mention we've seen a rise in the heartless population recently that may be connected to the appearance of the world memories…"_

_ Rose's normally level head was reeling. It was too much to take in at once. Zeke spoke up again, giving voice to a question with disturbing implications. "When you said that we can't let the World Memories fall into the wrong hands you implied more than the threat of the heartless…"_

_ Master Shin's voice became grave. "Certainly it would be catastrophic is the heartless were to discover one of the World Memories, but their true power would be unleashed only by a keyblade." _

_ "But we are the Keyblade Order." Zeke protested. "Who else-"_

"_Xane." Rose was shocked by the sound of her own voice. "But Master, surely Xane isn't a threat."_

_ "If he were to stumble upon one without knowing what it was he could cause untold damage, especially if the taint of Darkness has a hold on his heart." Veritas answered bluntly. Rose could feel tears starting to form in her eyes._

_ "Rose, right now there is too much at stake. If Xane has indeed fallen to the Darkness he could put us all in grave danger. Besides, use of the Keyblade is not restricted to the Order… There are others outside our jurisdiction with the power to wield. The Keyblade may choose its Master in addition to the Bearer's ability to pass the power on. You may very well find Keybearers beholden to the power of Darkness just as you are to the Light. You may also find potential allies among the worlds... There is one more thing you will face."_

_ Zeke too was feeling shocked and numb from the new information he was having to process but he was still able to ask the simple question: "What?"_

_ Master Shin looked the two apprentices straight in the eyes, his gaze intense. "They are called The Revenant."  
_


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Cabin Boy (Part 2)

"Put yer backs into it!" Silver yells, even though we're right there. We were dangling over the edge of the ship, sitting on a plank suspended by ropes. Armed with metal scrapers, Jim and I were being instructed in the proper method of space-barnacle scraping. Honestly, it's a lot is harder than it looks and it looks pretty difficult to begin with. It feels like a losing battle. For every barnacle we manage to pry off, seven more take its place. It might be a more satisfying chore if it felt like we were making progress but, as it stands, I'm just feeling overwhelmed.

When Jim and I were awakened, just before dawn, it was almost a relief. Honestly I can't ever remember sleeping somewhere more uncomfortable than in the crew's quarters. My muscles were knotted and sore from yesterday and, quite frankly, I was still a bit groggy but the boss said it was time to get to work and "what the boss says, goes." I remember wondering what's for breakfast only to realize that we work for the cook, which gave me a sneaking suspicion we'd be helping to prepare it.

Obviously, I was mistaken. I'm seriously tempted to summon my keyblades and just wreak havoc on the barnacles. Unfortunately that would not only blow whatever cover I had, it could very easily send me on a one-way trip into space unprotected. Even so, the scrapers really aren't making much of a dent even with the two of us combined working at it. Maybe it will work if I only summon one keyblade and hold on with my other hand? I dismiss the idea before I do something reckless. We keep at it, accompanied by Mr. Silver's constant criticism of our technique, for the rest of the morning.

By the time we finally stop, our muscles are burning and my back is aching. Then Mr. Silver hauls us back onto the deck for the "real work" to begin…. I'm a little dumbfounded: if what we just finished isn't considered real work then I'm not sure I want to see what is. I'm convinced my new "mentor" is certifiably crazy. I've been through some difficult training sessions but, so far, today beats them all. I look around, trying to determine the time, but I know that it's still rather early as Mr. Silver hasn't left to make lunch yet. My fellow cabin boy and I are led over to the mainmast where Silver hands us each a length of rope, before taking a length himself. "Get yourselves up to the crow's nest and bring those lines with ya. Time fer you two t'learn one of the most important skills a sailor should 'ave."

I throw the loop over my left shoulder and begin the climb, followed closely by Jim and Mr. Silver. I'm not sure what Mr. Silver has in mind, but I'm too tired for more of his "humor." Once we reached the top I sit back against the wall of the crow's nest. It really is a short wall; I can't help but wonder if it really was enough to keep whoever was working up here safe from a fall. I make sure to draw my legs in so that Mr. Silver and Jim have enough room. I run my hand over my length of rope, feeling its texture under my fingers. Lately, my five senses feel different, especially my sense of smell. I keep smelling something weird, but familiar. I just can't put my finger on what it is.

"Okay me boys, If there's one thing you're going to need to know on this ship, it's how to tie a knot." Jim makes a scoffing noise that causes Silver's robot eye to fix him with a crimson glare. "Pay attention Jimbo, 'cause this 'ere knot is used for ever'thing around a ship. An' if there was an emergency it'd be up to you two boys to secure th' lifelines." What? Us? I'm actually surprised that they'd give such an important sounding job to the cabin boys. I guess, on the ship, everyone really looks out for each other. There's no room for coddling. Before I left, I was always being sheltered, much more than my fellow students. But here, everyone is straightforward with me. As Silver begins to explain how the knot is tied I happen to look over at Jim. He's already started tying and is actually ahead of Mr. Silver. I look over at the cook, who's engrossed in his own length of line, and decide to follow Jim's example.

"Now ya just give 'er a tug an'… eh?" Mr. Silver stops his sentence as I hold up my finished knot. He gives me a look and for a moment I can't tell whether he's upset or just surprised, then he gives a slight smile. "Where's that Jim gone off ta?" I point at my fellow cabin boy's knot, which is looped around a knob. I look over the side of the nest and see Jim walking along the edge of the deck. I loop my knot next to Jim's and begin the climb out of the crow's nest.

As I get about halfway down I hear Mr. Silver's voice from above. "What am I gonna do with those two?" I can't help but smile to myself. Despite everything, I'm really starting to feel as if I belong. As long as I'm honest and work hard, no one cares where I come from. I look up at Jim, his back framed against the multitude of stars. I can tell that he carries darkness within him, just like I do, but there's light in him too. It's funny how easy it is to notice the things we lack in other people, things they may take for granted. I can see Jim's light, even if he doesn't notice it. I think that's because, no matter how many times or how hard I tried, I could never find any Light in my own heart.

Now matter how deep I dig all I can find is darkness, darkness that I almost lost control of yesterday. I have to be more careful and guard my heart to prevent the darkness from rising within me without me even noticing. I'll admit that the thought scares me. I have no idea how much damage I could cause if the darkness ever takes control. I know I can't give in to it, but in the meantime I'm sure my cabin boy duties will keep me busy enough. After all today has only just begun and I'm sure Mr. Silver has plenty more in store for us cabin boys…

Out of the corner of my eye I notice a flicker of movement. It catches my attention enough for me to turn and look. I can't be sure, but it looks like one of the main types of heartless my master showed me. If I remember correctly they are called shadows. Surely I'm mistaken, I _want_ to be mistaken. Heartless on the ship would ruin everything. I quickly head in the direction it went, intent on catching it. Maybe, by defeating it I can prevent others from showing up? But surely using my keyblades will only draw more…

I turn a corner into a shaded area of the deck, looking all over for the heartless. After all I am a Keybearer, I'm not about to let the heartless run wild on this ship. "Where did it go?" I mutter to myself, engrossed in my search. Suddenly I catch a whiff of a foul, and familiar, odor.

"Didn't I sssssay that cabin boyssss should mind their bussinessss?" The hissing voice of Mr. Scroop issues from behind me. I turn around and look into his glinting yellow eyes, suddenly afraid for my own safety. I don't want to fight him; Mr. Arrow said brawling was prohibited anyway. I have to think my way out of the situation fast if I wanted to avoid trouble.

"I wasn't trying to cause trouble… I just… lost my earring." I say, taking a step back from him. It's a stupid lie, my ears aren't even pierced. But thanks to my longish hair, Mr. Scroop doesn't know that. Maybe I do have a chance. "Yeah, I just thought it might have rolled over here so I was trying to find it." I cast a quick glance around and then stoop over quickly. "There it is, sorry for disturbing you." I say as I put my empty hand into my pocket, hoping it will fool him. Something about the way he is glaring at me makes me think that he doesn't buy it. I hold my ground, my whole body tense, waiting for him to call my bluff when Mr. Silver's voice cuts in, calling for me. I can feel relief flood through me although I'm careful not to let it show on my face.

"Don't make a habit of it." Mr. Scroop warns me as I turn to heed the cook's call. Once I'm out on the main deck I realize I had been holding my breath; that was too close a call. There's just something wrong about Mr. Scroop, something dark. It's just my luck that I ended up on his bad side without even trying. Still I had to wonder where that heartless had gotten too. Maybe I really had been mistaken and it was just another one of the odd-shaped crewmembers?

"There ya are, Xane. Don' be wanderin' off when there be work to do." Mr. Silver scolds me, I apologize a bit hastily. My mind is still on the conversation with Mr. Scroop. I know that I sensed darkness in his heart yesterday when he was harassing Jim and me. I don't know what to make of any of this, but I'm beginning to think that there's more going on aboard this ship than meets the eye. I worry that I will be forced to reveal my keyblades. If that happens, who knows how I might alter the course of this world's fate?

"You two know th' drill now, I want this deck spotless by th' time I get back up 'ere. " Silver says, heading for the stairs. Jim groans and I sigh, it seems like the work is never-ending. Morph floats up between us, making it clear that he's here to keep us in line. We fetch our supplies from the closet and waste no time setting about our chore. After a time I let my mind wander, there is an entire planet full of treasure out there and I'm on a ship that's sailing right for it. The concept of it was mind-blowing. To think that I had stumbled on this by accident, I was still having trouble taking it all in.

"What's it like where you come from?" Jim interrupts my train of thought.

"Where I come from?" I ask, surprised by his question.

"Yeah, what's your home like?"

I hesitate, not sure how to answer or even if I should. I suppose that as long as Jim still thinks I'm from this world it will be okay to answer. Looking out to the stars I answer Jim's question. "Well, there are grand buildings everywhere and a beautiful courtyard with a fountain. It's always peaceful, not just the courtyard though. The entire world always seems to be at peace. It's a well protected place, because it's so peaceful. The rules there enforce the peace and everyone knows their duty… But it's so small... Like…" I allow my words to trail off and look back down at deck of the ship as I push my mop around pensively.

"…I can see why you left." Jim says after a moment. I look up at him, searching his face. Is it possible that he really does get it? I'm unsure; after all, I'm not even certain I understand it myself. There simply so much I didn't know while I was stuck on that tiny world. I haven't been gone very long and yet I've seen things I never would have dreamed of. Things I couldn't have imagined if someone would have described them to me in detail… I feel truly alive for the first time I can remember. Even though I carry this immense burden, I no longer feel trapped. My fellow cabin boy has become engrossed in the chore, his expression oddly unreadable. After a second he looks up and our eyes meet, something tells me he had been thinking similar things only a moment ago.

"What?" He asks, giving me a curious look.

"Nothing," I say. Then, after a moment, "I was just thinking that I want to get my ear pierced."

He looks at me for a moment, as if he wonders if I'm serious, and then grins. "That can be arranged."

I grin back at him.

"Oi! I can't take me eyes off you boys can I?" Somehow we'd managed not to hear the distinctive thump of Mr. Silver's mechanical leg as he approached. We turn simultaneously, like kids caught in the middle of pulling a prank. He surveys the deck, crimson cyborg eye scanning out work critically.

"Hmmm… "He clunks over and picks up our water bucket, sloshing it over the deck.

"Ya missed a spot. No more slacking off. After you boys are done wit' that, come down and get some dinner."

We stare at him wordlessly as he clunks back below deck. Jim scoffs and begins to mop again, obviously irritated. I push my mop around a bit but continue to stare after Silver unable to give voice to my thoughts. There's something about him… I look down at the deck and continue mopping. I had work to do if I wanted any dinner and to be honest I as getting really hungry.

Jim and I hurried to finish the rest of the mopping and put our supplies away, the promised food just below deck. The majority of is gathered for the meal. In fact, it seems like Jim and I are the last ones to show up. We grab bowls of something that not long I wouldn't have dreamed of eating and sit down in the corner to devour our meals. A long day of physical labor has the habit of making every scrap of food I get the most delicious thing I've ever eaten. The room is alive with loud and uproarious conversation, I feel something twinge inside me and I'm suddenly uncomfortable. I realize that it reminds me of home, of laughing and joking after a long day…

I finish my meal quickly and go back up to the deck, allowing the cool air to clear my head. I wander the deck of the ship and as dusk sets in, I try to make sense of my thoughts. Memories flood to the surface unbidden and I can't help but find it strange that such a new and unfamiliar experience could still remind me of the home I turned my back on. Guilt and melancholy threatened to settle in when I realized that I'd reached the front of the ship. On impulse I begin to climb the bowsprit. It's not a difficult task and soon I'm walking out past the safety of the deck.

The winds stir my charcoal hair as the Legacy soars through the stars. I look out into the purple-black canvas before, knowing my home is out there among those pinpricks of light. But that wasn't the reason that my heart soared and raced on the solar winds. Out here, I'm free. That simple fact resonates throughout my entire being and sends shivers racing down my spine. The winds pick up and my hair streams around my face, framing the look of wonder plastered across it. The world is so full of things I've yet to see or experience. I can't help but want to experience it all.

In that moment, despite myself, my heart goes back to my home. I wonder if anyone back home would believe all that has happened in such a short time. I sigh, would they ever be able to forgive me, or has this darkness damaged those relationships irreparably, an inky stain across our photograph that nothing could ever remove? The only thing to do when that happens is to throw out the photo. Maybe that was what they'd do with me? Maybe that was for the best, that way this darkness of mine could never hurt them. I stare out at the stars and wonder if they're out there, looking back at me. I wipe some glistening moisture from my eyes. It must be the wind irritating them… Yeah… that was it…

After a while, I make my way back below deck; the atmosphere had calmed down a bit since people finished their meals. Jim leans in the stairwell, nursing a mug of coffee. I take a seat on the bottom step next to him and take in the scene before me. Mr. Silver has the attention of everyone present as he spins a tale of one of his voyages, using the lantern on the table and his cyborg arm to make shadow puppets and illustrate the exciting parts of the story. I'm a little lost, having missed most of the story. I guess I was gone for longer than I realized. I turn my gaze to look up at my fellow cabin boy. He's watching the performance with a contented smile on his face. There's something happening in him, I can tell it, but I can't quite pinpoint what it is. I smile and turn my attention back to the story as it draws to a finish.

The crew breaks into conversation again, discussing Silver's tale this time. He laughs and excuses himself, clunking over to where Jim and I are relaxing. "Okay boys, these dishes aren't gonna do themselves." We groan simultaneously, but there's no point complaining. We're learning fast that a cabin boy's work is never done.

We drag our bodies off to start the next, and hopefully last, of the day's chores. A stack of dirty dishes await us. There was no point in wasting time so we set about the chore immediately, soaking and scrubbing dirty plates as well as grimy pots and pans. It's no easy task, but it's a rather mindless one. Still, after all the day's work, it seems like we're both too tired for conversation. Personally I don't mind it as I can just let my mind wander, the questions I had no answer for tumbling over and over in my mind. I know that these questions are the only things keeping me from being swallowed by the darkness. I need to keep them in focus, to keep them sharp in my mind or else I might lose my way.

Darkness is not my weapon, the keyblade is my weapon. I don't trust the Darkness, don't trust myself with it… But… Why is it that others can grasp the light so easily when it's so unreachable for me? I feel like Jim understands how I feel, but I can't bring any of this up to him. The Keybearers aren't supposed to mettle in the affairs of other worlds as it is.

Jim sets his last dish aside as I vigorously try to scrub the last bit of grime out of a pot. It's hard to believe that so much could happen in one day, I can't wait to get to bed. As if on cue, Silver clunks in and unloads another heap of dirty dishes. I swear, it's like he was saving them for right as we're almost finished. Jim stares incredulously before grabbing another dish as I sigh, set aside what was supposed to be the last dish, and reach for the next one. It seemed the night wasn't quite over yet.

The work goes slowly, yet steadily. I yawn, wondering how much time has passed since we started. For the last half hour, at least, I've been running on auto-pilot. It's to the point where I'm not even forming coherent thoughts. I'm just following the same routine pattern: grab a dish, soak it, scrub it, rinse it, and stack it. The clunking sound that signals Mr. Silver's approach causes me to look up, bleary-eyed, from amidst the stacks of clean dishes. His eyes go between me and Jim, who's fallen asleep propped up on his last pot. Silver shakes his head and chuckles softly, "Off to bed wit' ya, Xane." I nod and manage to get myself unsteadily to my feet, feeling the blood rushing back to my legs after sitting down for so long. Bed seems like an excellent idea, so I make my way to the crew quarters, but not before looking back to say goodnight. I stand there, leaning against the doorframe as Silver drapes his jacket over the shoulders of Jim's sleeping form. As he makes to leave, he seems surprised to see me still standing there. "Wha' did I say? Off ta bed. I don't need either of you getting sick when there's work ta be done." Something about his expression tell me that there's more to it than that… but I'm too exhausted to think about it, so I just nod. "Goodnight." I say, my voice heavy with exhaustion. Silver chuckles a bit. "Go on lad."

I don't need any convincing, sleep sounds like the best thing possible to me at the moment. I make my way to the crew quarters and flop into bed- instantly asleep.

"_The Revenant... What are they?" The snowy-haired boy looked seriously at his Master. When had his teacher learned of this threat? Why was he only telling Zeke of it now? The apprentices were not having the best of days._

_Master Veritas hesitated, causing Rose to speak up. "Where did they come from?"_

_Silence._

"_Masters, what is going on?" _

"_The problem is, we know next to nothing about these so-called Revenant. But we know they're a threat and they must be stopped." Master Veritas answered both of the students. Master Shin gave his Brother-pupil a questioning look but remained silent._

"_What are they after?" Zeke asked, his expression troubled._

"_For now their true motives are unclear," responded Master Shin, "but it seems that they are after the World Memories. And they are very powerful, much more so than the Heartless; more powerful than even the Nobodies."_

_ The apprentices' expressions turned grim. Even though their presence amidst the worlds was greatly diminished, the apprentices had heard stories of how powerful the Nobodies were. While the Heartless were driven by instinct, the Nobodies were capable of forming a hierarchy and formulating cold, calculated strategies. That coupled with the raw power they possessed made them dangerous enemies. To say that these Revenant outmatched even the Nobodies… _

"_ That's… Not possible…" Zeke couldn't wrap his mind around the idea. What did the Masters expect the two of them to be able to do? They were unproven, still preparing for their Mark of Mastery exams._

_ Rose gave voice to Zeke's thoughts, her emotions getting the best of her. "What can we do against a threat like that? We haven't even attained Mastery of the Keyblade yet!" It was almost too much; in such a short time their worlds had been turned upside-down. _

_Master Veritas responded in calm, reassuring tones. "You both show great promise. Whether or not you feel up to the task, it is vitally important that you recover the World Memories before they fall into the wrong hands. Together, the two of you should be able to overcome whatever threat stands in your way. Yes, it will be dangerous journey but think of it as an opportunity to demonstrate the Mark of Mastery. We must remain here and try to learn all we can about the threats that face us, so we must leave this task up to you two." _

_ The apprentices stood there in stunned silence, they'd had no idea their Masters placed so much faith in them. It was humbling to hear from someone they had so much respect for. Still, their hearts were troubled. They now stood at the precipice of Darkness, about to face an unprecedented threat for the balance of all worlds. The World Memories, the Revenant, what were they?_

_ "Will that be all, Masters?" Rose asked. Her voice was hesitant, as if she were expecting more terrible news. Master Shin looked at her for a moment before speaking. "Whatever happens, do not use the World Memories. We know too little about them and their power might be too great."_

_ "Go now, and good luck to you both." Master Veritas added. Rose looked to her own Master and could tell he was trying to hide the worry in his eyes. But Rose had known him too long. Master Shin had practically raised her… Now it would just be her and Zeke, she hoped she was ready. She wished Xane was there._

"_Xane… What are you thinking?" She thought._


End file.
